


Mom

by who_seeks_shall_find



Series: Life as I see it [32]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Family Drama, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Motherhood, Pain, Tears, Words, post-season 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-05-31 18:10:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15125063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/who_seeks_shall_find/pseuds/who_seeks_shall_find
Summary: William hasn't called Felicity his mom. One night the word just slips and it causes a real internal turmoil in William's mind. The night is full of tears.





	Mom

**Author's Note:**

> This is a part of a series about Oliver's imprisonment and a year after it. This drabble takes place after 226 days of Oliver's release from prison.
> 
> The series will be updated once a day (if it's just possible). It's going to include 122 drabbles about Oliver, Felicity, William and other characters who are involved in their lives. It's going to take approximately four months to finish the series. The drabbles are linked to each other but they're NOT in a CHRONOLOGICAL order. That's why, there may also be gaps or blanks which are filled in later.
> 
> I wish that every character is respected without unnecessary hatred.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

William was on his way to home and he found it hard to admit for himself but he was tired. It had been a long day and now he was just ready to go to bed. In the morning, his dad and Felicity had nagged at him about cleaning his room. Then he had had a hard day at school although he usually loved school. After his school day, he went to train with Roy who had kicked his ass way too many times. The list could just go on. The whole day had been just a mess so now William was just mentally, emotionally and physically drained.

Luckily, he was already at their front door. William took off his back bag and put his hand into one of its pockets looking for his keys. Even finding the keys didn’t seem a simple job and William let out a frustrated groan. He really hated Murphy’s law – why even finding the damn keys had to be so hard?

After a few moments, William hit the jackpot and he quickly unlocked the front door. He shouted tiredly: “I’m home.”

William didn’t get a response so he just dropped his back bag on the floor and put his keys on the counter. He would just get a glass of water from kitchen and then he would go to take a shower. Or maybe he could just skip the shower. He needed now more sleep than good personal hygiene. 

William dragged his feet and went to kitchen and he was surprised to see his dad there. Oliver was making dinner but he stopped when he saw William arriving. At first Oliver didn’t say anything but he looked at William with a stern face. William halted and looked at his dad who kept going with the silent treatment.

After a while his dad asked: “Where have you been for the whole night?”

William frowned and panicked a little. His dad didn’t know that William was training with Roy because he would just forbid it. William had tried to talk about it with his dad but Oliver didn’t seem to listen to William’s point of view or at least he ignored it. William didn’t enjoy lying but he wanted to train and he liked Roy. Therefore, his decision was easy - he wasn’t going to tell the truth tonight. Besides, he was too tired to have a major fight. 

“I was doing my homework at Chris’,” William said but he tried to dodge his dad’s intense gaze.

Oliver didn’t answer immediately and the silence stretched. William shifted uncomfortable and he didn’t know what his game plan should be. Finally, Oliver simply responded: “Okay.”

William tried to avoid exhaling too sharply although he was relieved. His dad was suspicious but he was obviously going to drop it tonight. William attempted to change the topic as he walked to the cabinet where they had their glasses. 

He asked casually: “Where is Felicity?”

“She’s finishing a project plan in the bedroom,” Oliver replied while he checked the oven.

“Cool,” William commented as he took a glass and poured water into it. 

Then he tried to slip away from the kitchen unnoticed when his dad was still paying attention to the oven. William turned his back to his dad and almost ran away. Yet, his dad’s unnatural senses catch his attempt to disappear before William could step to the corridor. 

Oliver cleared his throat before saying: “Dinner is in ten.”

“Ummm. I was thinking of skipping the dinner tonight, dad,” William said over his shoulder without turning to look at his dad.

“We don’t skip dinners in this households. I’ll see you in ten minutes,” Oliver said sternly and his tone didn’t leave room for an argument. 

William groaned internally because he had really dreamed about his bed and pillow. He just wanted the day to be over but he said nothing to his dad. Instead, William walked slowly to his room still holding on the water glass. It felt like a lifetime to reach his messy room. 

When he stepped inside to his room, William kicked a soccer ball out of his way and put the glass down on his nightstand. Then he just slumped into his unmade bed. He could close his eyes at least for a few minutes before he had to go to the dinner. William folded his arms on his face covering his closed eyes as his mind was wandering towards more drowsy thoughts.

Too soon he heard his dad’s commanding voice. Oliver shouted: “William, Felicity. Dinner.”

William groaned but he stayed rooted. He could just lay down for a few more minutes. There was no rush and his mind started drifting back to comfortable, sleepy thoughts. Yet, Felicity’s footsteps and soft knock on the door frame interrupted his calm moment.

She laughed and chirped in her bubbly voice: “William? Didn’t you hear what you dad said? Dinner is ready.”

William wasn’t even aware of the words before he mumbled: “Coming, mom.”

Felicity inhaled sharply and immediately, William was wide awake. William jolted up and pressed his hand on his mouth as he looked at Felicity. He hadn’t meant to call Felicity his mom. He never called her mom. Felicity’s eyes had widened because of the surprise and she had a questioning look on her face. 

William rushed to say: “I meant Felicity. I’m coming, Felicity.”

Felicity shifted at his doorstep and she wasn’t sure what to do. The tension grew and after a while, she whispered: “William?”

William turned his gaze away because he couldn’t meet her eyes. He felt how tears pricked his eyes. He hadn’t meant it. He was just so tired and it had slipped. William rubbed his fingers together as he looked down at his hands. 

“William?” Felicity tried again.

He silently refused to look up at her because then he would start crying. He didn’t want to cry. Not now. Yet, he couldn’t help it and the tears started falling down onto his cheeks. The day had already been terrible and cleaning up this mess wasn’t going to make it any better. 

William shook his head vigorously and quickly rubbed at the tears falling from his eyes. Felicity came closer to the bed stepping over the dirty clothes, the baseball pats and all sorts of the balls. She couldn’t just ignore what just had happened. 

She sat down on the edge of the bed and she pressed her hand on William’s knee. First, William was going to wince away from her touch but then he let her do it after all. Her gentle touch brought even more tears into his eyes. Felicity squeezed his knee as she comforted him. She didn’t want him to feel any kind of pressure. Otherwise, she would already have taken him into her arms. 

They sat there for a while until William’s tears ceased a bit. Then he gulped and looked at Felicity’s worried eyes. He could see a glint in her eyes because of her unshed tears. She smiled at him sadly and rubbed his knee. As William looked at her, he felt a new wave of tears coming. He threw his body against hers and started sobbing again. 

Felicity wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. William’s tears stained her dress and moistened her shoulder. She pressed her palm on the back of his head and stroked his hair soothingly. She repeated several times: “It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay.”

William cried and mumbled against her shoulder: “I’m sorry.”

“Why?” Felicity asked and framed William’s face with her hands so she could look at him.

William shrugged and he tried to avoid her gaze once again. Felicity pleaded: “William, please. Don’t do that. Tell me what’s going on.”

“We have never talk about it. Me calling you my mom or not calling you my mom,” William said in a trembling voice and gulped.

“Do you want to talk about it now?” Felicity asked softly.

“I can't call you my mom,” William blurted out and he saw how the pain flashed in Felicity’s eyes.

Yet, Felicity smiled at him and nodded before she said: “It’s okay, William.”

William shook his head and almost exclaimed: “No, no, no. Not like that. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Then he calmed himself down and continued more controlled: “It’s not like you’re not my mom. I’m your son. You’re my parent. I love you.”

Felicity grabbed his hand and squeezed it encouragingly. She whispered: “I love you, too. No matter what. You can tell me anything and nothing is going to change that.”

William nodded and took a deep breathe before continuing: “It’s the word. My mom is my mom although she’s not here anymore. It’s how I remember her. She was and she is my mom. I can’t call anyone else like that. I’m not just able to do it because I can’t replace her like that.”

Felicity gave him an understanding smile and William went on: “You have never even tried to replace her but I’m talking about how I can’t replace her. It's about me. Calling her mom makes her memory special for me. I don't want to forget her. Today I was just so tired. You don’t mean any less for me because of that. On the contrary, you’re you and I love you for you.”

Now tears were pooling in Felicity’s eyes too and William looked at her worriedly. Then he turned his gaze down and stammered: “I’m not explaining it right.”

Felicity put her forefinger under his chin and lifted his head. She assured him: “You’re doing everything right, my sweet boy.”

William smiled at her tightly and Felicity wrapped her arms around William once again. She pressed her lips on the top of his head and they just sat there on William’s bed.

Nevertheless, their moment was interrupted by Oliver’s voice coming from the corridor: “What on earth are you two doing? Dinner is getting cold.”

Soon Oliver came to William's room but he halted at the doorstep when he saw his family. He stared at Felicity’s watery eyes and her wet dress. Then he shifted his gaze at red-eyed William who sniffed quietly. 

Oliver took a hesitant step closer and stammered: “Is everything okay?”

Felicity turned to look at William and touched his cheek with her fingertips. William nodded at her and Felicity said without turning her head: “Yeah. Everything is fine. We were just talking about the right words and parenthood.”

**Author's Note:**

> Update for tomorrow:  
> Felicity has a surprise for Oliver although Oliver isn't a huge fan of surprises. At the end, Oliver is very pleased with his surprise.


End file.
